Why not make Don’t Fry Day…every day the sun is shining?

Looking to get the long weekend started right? Well then before you head out, lather up and apply that sunblock. The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has designated the Friday before Memorial Day as “Don’t Fry Day” to encourage sun safety awareness and to remind everyone to protect their skin while enjoying the outdoors.

The American Cancer Society estimates there will be more than 73,870 new cases of malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, and more than 2 million new cases of basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers in the U.S.

Fortunately, skin cancer is highly curable if found early and can be prevented.

Remember to “Slip! Slop! Slap!...and Wrap” when you’re outdoors.

• Slip on a shirt
• Slop on broad spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher
• Slap on a wide-brimmed hat
• And wrap on sunglasses.

The best way to detect skin cancer early is to examine your skin regularly and recognize changes in moles and skin growths.

There’s a lot to know and we have an obligation to ourselves and our loved ones to make them sun-safe and cancer free. If you are covering this topic or need to know more, let one of our experts help.

Dr. Jigarkumar Parikh is a medical oncologist specializing in kidney cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer and melanoma at the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University. He is available to speak with media regarding skin cancer – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.